US20090017340A1 - Control method for cold fuel cell system operation - Google Patents
Control method for cold fuel cell system operation Download PDFInfo
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- US20090017340A1 US20090017340A1 US11/774,738 US77473807A US2009017340A1 US 20090017340 A1 US20090017340 A1 US 20090017340A1 US 77473807 A US77473807 A US 77473807A US 2009017340 A1 US2009017340 A1 US 2009017340A1
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- fuel cell
- compressor
- air
- temperature
- flow
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- 239000000446 fuel Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 105
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 15
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 210000004027 cell Anatomy 0.000 description 64
- 239000002918 waste heat Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000010792 warming Methods 0.000 description 2
- QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N atomic oxygen Chemical compound [O] QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 210000003850 cellular structure Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 239000012809 cooling fluid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000003487 electrochemical reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000007246 mechanism Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910052760 oxygen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000001301 oxygen Substances 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M8/04007—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids related to heat exchange
- H01M8/04014—Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M8/04223—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids during start-up or shut-down; Depolarisation or activation, e.g. purging; Means for short-circuiting defective fuel cells
- H01M8/04268—Heating of fuel cells during the start-up of the fuel cells
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M8/04298—Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems
- H01M8/04313—Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems characterised by the detection or assessment of variables; characterised by the detection or assessment of failure or abnormal function
- H01M8/0432—Temperature; Ambient temperature
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M8/04298—Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems
- H01M8/04694—Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems characterised by variables to be controlled
- H01M8/04746—Pressure; Flow
- H01M8/04753—Pressure; Flow of fuel cell reactants
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M2250/00—Fuel cells for particular applications; Specific features of fuel cell system
- H01M2250/20—Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M8/04082—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration
- H01M8/04089—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration of gaseous reactants
- H01M8/04111—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration of gaseous reactants using a compressor turbine assembly
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M8/04298—Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems
- H01M8/04313—Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems characterised by the detection or assessment of variables; characterised by the detection or assessment of failure or abnormal function
- H01M8/0438—Pressure; Ambient pressure; Flow
- H01M8/04395—Pressure; Ambient pressure; Flow of cathode reactants at the inlet or inside the fuel cell
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
- Y02E60/30—Hydrogen technology
- Y02E60/50—Fuel cells
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y02T90/00—Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
- Y02T90/40—Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
Definitions
- the field to which the present disclosure generally relates includes fuel cells, fuel cell components, fuel cell control systems, and method of using and operating the same.
- Fuel cells have been proposed as a power source for many applications, for example, as a primary power source in vehicles and the like. To meet customer expectations in vehicle applications, the fuel cell should be capable of quick start-up. At relatively high ambient temperatures (e.g. about 20° C. or above) a fuel cell stack, which may include a plurality of individual fuel cells bundled together, can be started and reach acceptable operating conditions in a reasonable amount of time. In some applications, the preferred operating temperature may be around 80° C.
- One embodiment includes a method of operating a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell and a compressor that provides air to the fuel cell.
- the method comprises sensing a temperature indicative of the temperature of a fuel cell, providing a restriction in an air flow path to the fuel cell when the sensed temperature is below a threshold, and increasing the speed of the compressor to provide a desired air flow to the fuel cell.
- increasing the speed of the compressor increases the power drawn from the fuel cell to power the compressor and helps to increase the heat of the fuel cell.
- the increased speed of the compressor can also result in warmer air flow from the compressor that can further increase the temperature of the system components.
- a fuel cell system comprising at least one fuel cell, a compressor having an output communicated with the fuel cell to provide a forced air flow to the fuel cell, and at least one flow controller disposed between the compressor output and the fuel cell and through which the forced air from the compressor flows to the fuel cell.
- the flow controller may be a valve or valves that provide(s) a variable restriction of the area for air to flow through the valve(s).
- the system may further include an air flow sensor adapted to provide a signal indicative of the flow rate of air to the fuel cell, a temperature sensor adapted to provide a signal indicative of at least one of ambient temperature or a temperature of the fuel cell, and a control system.
- the control system may be communicated with the air flow sensor, the temperature sensor, the compressor and the valve(s) and capable of providing a signal to the valve(s) to increase the restriction to air flow through the valve(s) when the temperature sensor provides a signal indicative of a temperature below a threshold.
- the control system may also provide a signal to control the compressor operation to provide a determined air flow to the fuel cell even when the valve(s) reduce(s) the area for air to flow therethrough.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a control system for a fuel cell power system 10 such as may be utilized in a vehicle application.
- the fuel cell architecture and its controls may be of any conventional or hereinafter developed form.
- the fuel cell power system 10 includes at least one fuel cell or fuel cell cell stack 12 .
- a compressor 14 is provided and is driven by an electric motor 16 .
- the compressor 14 provides a forced air flow to the cathode side of the fuel cell stack 12 , and this forced air flow may be humidified in a humidifier 32 , and its pressure controlled by a pressure regulator or by feedback control of its motor using an appropriate pressure sensor 46 .
- the forced air flow may be provided to the fuel cell stack 12 through an air cooler 18 designed to reduce the temperature of undesirably heated air so that the air flow to the fuel cell 12 is within a desired temperature range for operation of the fuel cell.
- One or more variable flow restrictors such as flow control valves 20 , 22 , may be disposed between the compressor output and the fuel cell stack 12 to control the flow rate of the air flow to the stack 12 .
- control valve 22 is provided in a bypass line 21 around the humidifier 32 .
- valves 20 , 22 there are two flow control valves 20 , 22 with one valve 22 connected in parallel to the other valve 20 and the cathode humidifier 32 . Accordingly, a portion of the output air flow from the compressor 14 passes through one valve 20 and then the cathode humidifier 32 , while a separate portion bypasses the cathode humidifier 32 and passes through the second valve 22 .
- the divided air flows converge downstream of the cathode humidifier 32 and are delivered to the fuel cell stack in a single conduit 24 , although other arrangements may be utilized.
- control system 25 may include one or more controllers 26 operably communicated with the compressor 14 , the fuel cell stack 12 , the air flow control valves 20 , 22 and with one or more sensors to control at least certain aspects of the fuel cell power system operation.
- the controller 26 may include one or more discreet control units which may be communicated together, or the controller may include a single controller that controls at least the functions described hereinafter.
- An exemplary sensor that may be used with the fuel cell power system 10 includes a temperature sensor 28 that provides to the controller 26 a signal indicative of the temperature of the air entering fuel cell stack 12 , or the temperature of the fuel cell stack 12 itself or the ambient temperature, or any combination of them.
- Another exemplary sensor may include an air flow sensor 30 that provides a signal to the controller 26 indicative of the air flow rate delivered from the compressor 14 to the fuel cell stack 12 .
- the temperature of the fuel cell stack 12 can become lower than its desired operating temperatures for optimum power supply operation.
- the controller 26 partially closes at least one of the air flow valves 20 , 22 to reduce the effective flow area through one or both valves.
- the threshold can be any suitable value below the desired operating temperature of the fuel cell stack 12 . Reducing the effective flow area of one or both valves 20 , 22 tends to increase the pressure of the air flow between the compressor and valves 20 , 22 , and reduce the flow rate.
- the compressor 14 draws power from the fuel cell stack 12 , the stack has to supply additional power to run the compressor at its increased speed and pressure ratio. Because the fuel cell stack 12 efficiency may be low during cold temperature operation, additional waste heat is generated by the stack 12 to produce the extra power for the compressor motor 16 . Accordingly, the waste heat generated by the stack 12 contributes to an increased rate of warming of the stack 12 and subsequent more efficient operation of the fuel cell system 10 . For example, as shown in FIG. 2 , significantly higher pressure ratios can be used while staying below the surge line 40 . At a corrected mass flow rate of 70 g/s, the compressor 14 in one implementation might operate with about 3.5 kW of power and have an output air temperature of about 13° C. under normal operating conditions, as noted by plot point 42 .
- the compressor may operate with about 11.63 kW of power and an output air temperature of about 46° C. when the air flow is restricted and the compressor pressure ratio is increased; as shown by plot point 44 .
- the compressor 14 requires over 8 kilowatts (kW) of additional power to push the same concentration of oxygen through the restricted or partially closed air flow valves 20 , 22 and to the fuel cell stack 12 compared to when the air flow valves 20 , 22 are in their normal position for normal operation of the fuel cell system 10 .
- the stack 12 produces an increased amount of waste heat to produce the extra power for the compressor motor 16 .
- the increased compressor speed and power consumption provides a higher temperature of the air discharged from the compressor 14 .
- This warmer air passes through the air cooler 18 and helps heat the air cooler 18 and any cooling fluid therein.
- the heated fluid may be circulated through the fuel cell stack 12 to heat the same.
- the fuel cell stack 12 is further heated upon delivery of the increased temperature air flow thereto.
- the system can be controlled so that over 8 kW of additional power can be required to drive the compressor motor 16 to deliver the same or similar mass of air to the fuel cell stack 12 during start-up compared to the power requirement without throttling down the valves 20 , 22 .
- the 8 kW to drive the motor about 70% of that may go into the airflow, or about 5.6 kW.
- the control system 25 may use a feed forward model to calculate the position of or relative restriction to air flow of the air flow valves 20 , 22 to maximize the compressor pressure ratio during the cold start or cold temperature operation.
- the position of the valves 20 , 22 may be controlled as a function of a determined or desired pressure ratio of the compressor motor 16 .
- a compressor pressure sensor 46 could also be used to provide feedback control of the position of the air flow valves based on the pressure at the outlet and/or across the compressor to determine the desired position of the valves.
- the compressor motor 16 is preferably operated with a closed loop feedback control on the air flow sensor 30 so that the compressor speed is automatically increased to compensate for the partial closing of the air flow valves 20 , 22 . Because the total effective area of the two air flow valves 20 , 22 determines the pressure ratio of the compressor 14 , the compressor control loop can also be independent of RH controls.
- throttling the valves 20 , 22 between the compressor 14 and the fuel cell stack 12 and then increasing the output of the compressor 14 so that the fuel cell stack 12 receives a desired air flow (e.g. a flow rate controlled as a function of a determined air flow rate)
- additional energy can be drawn from the stack 12 to power the compressor 14 and can be delivered to the stack 12 in the form of an increased temperature air flow.
- This improves the cold start performance and cold temperature operation of the fuel cell system 10 , and increases the rate at which the fuel cell power system temperature is increased to thereby reduce the time of low temperature fuel cell stack operation.
Abstract
Description
- The field to which the present disclosure generally relates includes fuel cells, fuel cell components, fuel cell control systems, and method of using and operating the same.
- Fuel cells have been proposed as a power source for many applications, for example, as a primary power source in vehicles and the like. To meet customer expectations in vehicle applications, the fuel cell should be capable of quick start-up. At relatively high ambient temperatures (e.g. about 20° C. or above) a fuel cell stack, which may include a plurality of individual fuel cells bundled together, can be started and reach acceptable operating conditions in a reasonable amount of time. In some applications, the preferred operating temperature may be around 80° C.
- At relatively low temperatures, such as subfreezing temperatures of about −25° C., rapid startup of the fuel cell stack is more difficult because at these temperatures the rate at which the overall electrochemical reaction occurs is significantly reduced. This limits the amount of current that can be drawn from the stack and the resultant heat output by the stack. The reduced output of the fuel cell stack can degrade drive-away performance of the vehicle, as well as slow the rate at which the interior vehicle cabin can be heated, the rate at which windshield defrost mechanisms operate, and the like.
- One embodiment includes a method of operating a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell and a compressor that provides air to the fuel cell. The method comprises sensing a temperature indicative of the temperature of a fuel cell, providing a restriction in an air flow path to the fuel cell when the sensed temperature is below a threshold, and increasing the speed of the compressor to provide a desired air flow to the fuel cell. In at least some implementations, increasing the speed of the compressor increases the power drawn from the fuel cell to power the compressor and helps to increase the heat of the fuel cell. The increased speed of the compressor can also result in warmer air flow from the compressor that can further increase the temperature of the system components.
- Another embodiment of the invention includes a fuel cell system, comprising at least one fuel cell, a compressor having an output communicated with the fuel cell to provide a forced air flow to the fuel cell, and at least one flow controller disposed between the compressor output and the fuel cell and through which the forced air from the compressor flows to the fuel cell. The flow controller may be a valve or valves that provide(s) a variable restriction of the area for air to flow through the valve(s). The system may further include an air flow sensor adapted to provide a signal indicative of the flow rate of air to the fuel cell, a temperature sensor adapted to provide a signal indicative of at least one of ambient temperature or a temperature of the fuel cell, and a control system. The control system may be communicated with the air flow sensor, the temperature sensor, the compressor and the valve(s) and capable of providing a signal to the valve(s) to increase the restriction to air flow through the valve(s) when the temperature sensor provides a signal indicative of a temperature below a threshold. The control system may also provide a signal to control the compressor operation to provide a determined air flow to the fuel cell even when the valve(s) reduce(s) the area for air to flow therethrough.
- Other exemplary embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while disclosing exemplary embodiments of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
- Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings, wherein:
-
FIG. 1 schematically depicts a control system to improve the cold start performance of a fuel cell stack; and -
FIG. 2 is a graph of compressor pressure ratio and air mass flow rate. - Referring in more detail to the drawings,
FIG. 1 illustrates a control system for a fuelcell power system 10 such as may be utilized in a vehicle application. The fuel cell architecture and its controls may be of any conventional or hereinafter developed form. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 1 , the fuelcell power system 10 includes at least one fuel cell or fuelcell cell stack 12. Acompressor 14 is provided and is driven by anelectric motor 16. Thecompressor 14 provides a forced air flow to the cathode side of thefuel cell stack 12, and this forced air flow may be humidified in ahumidifier 32, and its pressure controlled by a pressure regulator or by feedback control of its motor using anappropriate pressure sensor 46. The forced air flow may be provided to thefuel cell stack 12 through anair cooler 18 designed to reduce the temperature of undesirably heated air so that the air flow to thefuel cell 12 is within a desired temperature range for operation of the fuel cell. One or more variable flow restrictors, such asflow control valves fuel cell stack 12 to control the flow rate of the air flow to thestack 12. In one embodiment,control valve 22 is provided in abypass line 21 around thehumidifier 32. - In the embodiment shown, there are two
flow control valves valve 22 connected in parallel to theother valve 20 and thecathode humidifier 32. Accordingly, a portion of the output air flow from thecompressor 14 passes through onevalve 20 and then thecathode humidifier 32, while a separate portion bypasses thecathode humidifier 32 and passes through thesecond valve 22. In the embodiment shown, the divided air flows converge downstream of thecathode humidifier 32 and are delivered to the fuel cell stack in asingle conduit 24, although other arrangements may be utilized. - In one implementation, the
control system 25 may include one ormore controllers 26 operably communicated with thecompressor 14, thefuel cell stack 12, the airflow control valves controller 26 may include one or more discreet control units which may be communicated together, or the controller may include a single controller that controls at least the functions described hereinafter. An exemplary sensor that may be used with the fuelcell power system 10 includes atemperature sensor 28 that provides to the controller 26 a signal indicative of the temperature of the air enteringfuel cell stack 12, or the temperature of thefuel cell stack 12 itself or the ambient temperature, or any combination of them. Another exemplary sensor may include anair flow sensor 30 that provides a signal to thecontroller 26 indicative of the air flow rate delivered from thecompressor 14 to thefuel cell stack 12. - When the fuel
cell power system 10 is subjected to relatively cold ambient temperatures, the temperature of thefuel cell stack 12 can become lower than its desired operating temperatures for optimum power supply operation. When the temperature sensed by thetemperature sensor 28 is below a threshold, thecontroller 26 partially closes at least one of theair flow valves fuel cell stack 12. Reducing the effective flow area of one or bothvalves valves fuel cell stack 12, thecontroller 26 also provides a signal to thecompressor motor 16 to increase its rotational speed. In this manner, thecompressor 14 requires more energy to provide the same amount of air to thefuel cell stack 12. - Because the
compressor 14 draws power from thefuel cell stack 12, the stack has to supply additional power to run the compressor at its increased speed and pressure ratio. Because thefuel cell stack 12 efficiency may be low during cold temperature operation, additional waste heat is generated by thestack 12 to produce the extra power for thecompressor motor 16. Accordingly, the waste heat generated by thestack 12 contributes to an increased rate of warming of thestack 12 and subsequent more efficient operation of thefuel cell system 10. For example, as shown inFIG. 2 , significantly higher pressure ratios can be used while staying below thesurge line 40. At a corrected mass flow rate of 70 g/s, thecompressor 14 in one implementation might operate with about 3.5 kW of power and have an output air temperature of about 13° C. under normal operating conditions, as noted byplot point 42. The compressor may operate with about 11.63 kW of power and an output air temperature of about 46° C. when the air flow is restricted and the compressor pressure ratio is increased; as shown byplot point 44. Accordingly, in one exemplary implementation, thecompressor 14 requires over 8 kilowatts (kW) of additional power to push the same concentration of oxygen through the restricted or partially closedair flow valves fuel cell stack 12 compared to when theair flow valves fuel cell system 10. And thestack 12 produces an increased amount of waste heat to produce the extra power for thecompressor motor 16. - As noted above, the increased compressor speed and power consumption provides a higher temperature of the air discharged from the
compressor 14. This warmer air passes through theair cooler 18 and helps heat theair cooler 18 and any cooling fluid therein. The heated fluid may be circulated through thefuel cell stack 12 to heat the same. Thefuel cell stack 12 is further heated upon delivery of the increased temperature air flow thereto. In the example shown inFIG. 2 , the system can be controlled so that over 8 kW of additional power can be required to drive thecompressor motor 16 to deliver the same or similar mass of air to thefuel cell stack 12 during start-up compared to the power requirement without throttling down thevalves - The
control system 25 may use a feed forward model to calculate the position of or relative restriction to air flow of theair flow valves valves compressor motor 16. Acompressor pressure sensor 46 could also be used to provide feedback control of the position of the air flow valves based on the pressure at the outlet and/or across the compressor to determine the desired position of the valves. By maximizing or increasing the compressor pressure ratio, the amount of additional energy required to operate thecompressor motor 16, and hence, the amount of additional energy required from thefuel cell stack 12, as well as a corresponding increase in the temperature of the air discharged from thecompressor 14, can be controlled to facilitate warming up of the fuelcell power system 10. To maintain the air flow to thefuel cell stack 12 generally constant or within a desired range, thecompressor motor 16 is preferably operated with a closed loop feedback control on theair flow sensor 30 so that the compressor speed is automatically increased to compensate for the partial closing of theair flow valves air flow valves compressor 14, the compressor control loop can also be independent of RH controls. - Accordingly, by throttling the
valves compressor 14 and thefuel cell stack 12, and then increasing the output of thecompressor 14 so that thefuel cell stack 12 receives a desired air flow (e.g. a flow rate controlled as a function of a determined air flow rate), additional energy can be drawn from thestack 12 to power thecompressor 14 and can be delivered to thestack 12 in the form of an increased temperature air flow. This improves the cold start performance and cold temperature operation of thefuel cell system 10, and increases the rate at which the fuel cell power system temperature is increased to thereby reduce the time of low temperature fuel cell stack operation. - The above description of embodiments of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations thereof are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention. By way of example without limitation, increasing the restriction to the compressor output air flow may be accomplished in ways other than partially closing one or more valves, such as by directing the air flow in full or in part through a different path when the restricted air flow is desired. Of course, still other arrangements may be utilized, as desired.
Claims (17)
Priority Applications (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US11/774,738 US8192881B2 (en) | 2007-07-09 | 2007-07-09 | Control method for cold fuel cell system operation |
DE102008031969.4A DE102008031969B4 (en) | 2007-07-09 | 2008-07-07 | Method for operating a fuel cell system and correspondingly adapted fuel cell system |
CN2008101361035A CN101345320B (en) | 2007-07-09 | 2008-07-09 | Control method for cold fuel cell system operation |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US11/774,738 US8192881B2 (en) | 2007-07-09 | 2007-07-09 | Control method for cold fuel cell system operation |
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US20090017340A1 true US20090017340A1 (en) | 2009-01-15 |
US8192881B2 US8192881B2 (en) | 2012-06-05 |
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US11/774,738 Active 2030-02-13 US8192881B2 (en) | 2007-07-09 | 2007-07-09 | Control method for cold fuel cell system operation |
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WO2013079148A1 (en) * | 2011-11-29 | 2013-06-06 | Daimler Ag | Method for operating a fuel cell system, and fuel cell system |
EP3054516A4 (en) * | 2013-10-01 | 2016-10-05 | Nissan Motor | Fuel cell system |
US11462763B2 (en) * | 2019-09-27 | 2022-10-04 | Airbus Sas | Aircraft fuel cells system |
JP7441877B2 (en) | 2022-03-29 | 2024-03-01 | 本田技研工業株式会社 | fuel cell system |
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DE102007033429B4 (en) | 2007-07-18 | 2022-07-14 | Cellcentric Gmbh & Co. Kg | Device and method for heating up a fuel cell in a starting phase |
US9190675B2 (en) * | 2012-05-07 | 2015-11-17 | GM Global Technology Operations LLC | Humid stream orifice via geometry and material that is robust to becoming blocked |
CN103401004A (en) * | 2013-07-11 | 2013-11-20 | 西南交通大学 | Air-cooled fuel cell system and coupling heat control method thereof |
DE102014225589A1 (en) * | 2014-12-11 | 2016-06-16 | Volkswagen Ag | Method for operating a fuel cell system and fuel cell system |
US10347928B2 (en) * | 2016-05-19 | 2019-07-09 | Ford Global Technologies, Llc | Air control system and method for fuel cell stack system |
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US6936359B2 (en) * | 2000-05-30 | 2005-08-30 | Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Apparatus for warming-up fuel cell |
US20050260466A1 (en) * | 2000-05-30 | 2005-11-24 | Tomoki Kobayashi | Method and apparatus for warming-up fuel cell and fuel cell vehicle |
US20050129992A1 (en) * | 2001-08-02 | 2005-06-16 | General Motors Corporation | Method of operating a fuel cell system |
US20070231639A1 (en) * | 2006-03-31 | 2007-10-04 | Honda Motor Co., Ltd. | Fuel-cell electric vehicle |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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WO2013079148A1 (en) * | 2011-11-29 | 2013-06-06 | Daimler Ag | Method for operating a fuel cell system, and fuel cell system |
EP3054516A4 (en) * | 2013-10-01 | 2016-10-05 | Nissan Motor | Fuel cell system |
US11462763B2 (en) * | 2019-09-27 | 2022-10-04 | Airbus Sas | Aircraft fuel cells system |
JP7441877B2 (en) | 2022-03-29 | 2024-03-01 | 本田技研工業株式会社 | fuel cell system |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
CN101345320B (en) | 2011-11-16 |
DE102008031969A1 (en) | 2009-01-29 |
DE102008031969B4 (en) | 2020-04-23 |
US8192881B2 (en) | 2012-06-05 |
CN101345320A (en) | 2009-01-14 |
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